#smolreader

[alexis-draws]

Aster's in April - Chapter 1 (on Wattpad) https://my.w.tt/NyaPGVojo9 

Okay, so I decided to post my chapters on Wattpad because I know it’s easier for others to use. (also, I wanted to make this cover) 

More actual updates to stories will be coming soon, I just finished school for a little bit so I have a week break to hopefully catch up on some writing!

[ebottpreservationsociety]

Bitty Reader (Timid Reader & Underswap!Sans and Papyrus)

I recently found the bittybones au by the amazing, fabulous, creative @fucken-crybaby and fell in love. Though, to be honest, I’d rather be the bitty ;). Thus, this was born. It was just written for shits and giggles - not my best work, but fluffy all the same. I have a few different ideas for this AU of an AU which includes several AUs and jeeze this is starting to sound like Inception. Anyway, I might write more, or I might write actual bittybones stuff. Go check out Crybaby and all the other bittybones AU art and stories - they’re FANTASTIC! Enjoy the fluff!

               The adoption event had been going on all morning, and you were the only one left. Well, no, you weren’t - there were a dozen or so other Readers, all eagerly awaiting a home and chatting loudly at the other side of the large, glass container. But here, curled up in the corner, staring dully through the fingerprint-smeared glass, you felt alone. You felt worlds away, abandoned to a fate of solitude. Nobody wanted you - nobody cared for you. You weren’t pretty enough, or skinny enough, or smart enough to be any of the visiting monsters companion. They always picked the happy ones, the jumping ones, the chatty ones who complimented their fur or squealed over how cute and big the monsters were.

               And the monsters were big. Even Whimsuns, the sweetest, smallest of the monsters, towered over you. Though to be honest, at a whopping five inches tall, everything towered over you. That’s why Readers needed monsters to look after them - you all were simply too tiny to survive on your own. Not that you would want to. Readers were drawn to Monsters, just like certain Monsters were drawn to Readers. There was nothing better than being adopted and finding a monster to live with.

               The bell above the door of Rivethart’s Itty Bitty Reader Shelter rang out as somebody new came in. Through the smudged glass pressed against your cheek, you could see two monsters enter. One was very tall and thin, while the other was short and wide. Their skin was white and smooth, and after catching a glance at their eye sockets and lipless mouths, you realized they were skeletons. The taller one was dressed in an orange hoodie and had a sucker between his teeth. The shorter was wearing some kind of blue and gray outfit that looked similar to armor, all tied together by a lovely blue bandana that matched his eyes. Said eyes were currently sparkling with stars as he looked around the small building, practically vibrating in excitement.

               “Papy, look!” The short one pointed to a poster hung on the wall, detailing all the different types of Readers that were available for adoption. He rushed over and began reading, bouncing up and down on his heels. “Look at all the different little Readers there are to adopt!” His brother – Papy – wandered over to look at the various posters on the wall, rolling the sucker between his teeth.

               “There sure are a lot of them,” he agreed in a low, lazy voice. “You gonna be able to pick, Sans?”

               Sans wiggled in place, the stars in his eyes growing larger as he ran a finger down the listing. “Joy, Artist, Quiet, Chatty, Dreamer, Jumper – ooh, look at this one, Paps!” The little skeleton poked at a picture of a happy, jumping Reader standing beside his monster beneath the label, “Jumper – Active Reader.”

               In your little corner of the large, square display case in the center of the room, you snorted. Actives were always popular. So were Joys and Artists, and the other happy and loud Readers that caught the monsters’ attention. Then there were readers like you – Readers that fell under the labels of Quiet, Shy, Timid. There were plenty of equally quiet and shy monsters for the Quiet and Shy Readers.

               But you weren’t Shy or Quiet – you were Timid. And Timid Readers rarely found forever homes. Despite how kind and compassionate most monsters were, there was simply something off putting about having a pet that was afraid of you.

               “Papy, look!” The short skeleton bounced across the room to the display case. It was a large glass box on top of a wooden table. The walls went up just high enough to keep any of the Adventurous or Curious Readers from escaping, since there was no top to the case. This allowed monsters to reach down and interact with the Readers, picking them up and chatting with them.

               Sans immediately went to the other side of the display, where most of the Readers were gathered. A few of the Quiet and Shy Readers were sitting together nearby, close enough to listen but not pressured to join the louder ones. As soon as the monster poked his head over the edge of the box, he was greeted by a loud chorus of ‘Hello’s’ and ‘Hiya’s!’ One Curious Reader started jumping up and down, yelling ‘Look, a skeleton!’ at the top of his lungs.

               You sunk deeper into your corner, too-big sweater bunching and making you look even tinier. Squeezing your eyes tightly, you tried to ignore the skeletons loud laughter as he did his best to give each and every Reader his attention. The sound sent an uncomfortable shiver down your spine – it was just so big.

               Monsters themselves didn’t scare you – they were perfectly nice, really. Each one you had met had been nothing but kind and gentle. It was just…they were so…big. Large. Giant. They were overwhelming, and even though you knew it was stupid, being close to them terrified you.

               “Hey kid, you’re not lookin’ too good.” The voice came from your side of the box, right above you. You jerked in surprise, craning your neck back to look up at the tall monster, Papy. He pulled the sucker out of his mouth and looked down at you, head tilted slightly in curiosity. “You want me to get the boss over here?” He asked, sounding slightly worried as he thumbed over his shoulder at Rivethart, who was speaking with another monster at the far side of the store.

               You shook your head furiously, not wanting to bother the kind deer. Papy waited a moment, obviously expecting you to speak, but when you didn’t say anything, he popped his sucker back in his mouth and shoved his hands into his hoodie pockets.

               “Not much of a talker, huh.” He winked. “That’s okay, neither am I.” He rocked back on his heels, putting his focus onto his brother, though he didn’t immediately move away. You went back to slumping in your sweater, eyeing the gaggle of Readers speaking with Sans.

               The short skeleton was making sure every Reader got at least one compliment – he even made the Quiet and Shy Readers smile with only a few words! While you watched Sans interact with everybody else, Papy wandered back to the posters on the wall, scrutinizing the blocks of text and pictures. Each type of Reader was defined by a certain color of clothing. You were wearing a soft, mint green, and there, at the bottom of the poster, was a picture of a similarly-dressed little Reader sitting beside a monster, who was reading a storybook aloud.

 “TIMID READERS”

Timid Readers are very shy and quiet when first meeting monsters. Often times they hold some kind of apprehension towards monsters, whether due to size differences, aversion to loud noises, or poor past experiences. However, once a Timid has grown used to a monster and created a strong bond with them, they can be very open, friendly, and enjoyable companions.

If you are adopting a Timid, please remember:

Timids like to feel protected and safe, and will want to be around their monster as opposed to being alone

Though they may be hesitant at first, once a Timid is comfortable they will crave physical contact

It takes time, patience, and work to gain the trust and affection of a Timid Reader. Do not adopt if you are not able to put in the appropriate effort

Timids can be very protective of friends and family, though they will avoid physical confrontation

Caring for a Timid may seem like a daunting task, but they are rewarding companions who will stay with you through thick and thin

               Papy hummed under his breath and wandered back over to the large display case. Sans had three different Readers climbing over him, examining his pauldrons and oddly pliable face. One had even made a hammock of his bandana and had apparently fallen asleep there, if the tiny, squeaky noises he could hear were snores. The little brother looked up at him, the stars in his eyes nearly too large for his sockets.

               “Papy!” Sans greeted, joy in every line of his face. “Look! Can we take them all home?”

               Papy snorted, thinking of the chaos that would ensue with fifteen or so Readers running wild at home. “They have adoption limits, Sans,” he reminded his brother, “and we only have room for one Reader right now, remember?”

               “Oh, right,” Sans muttered sadly, along with several of the Readers that had clambered up his arms. The skeleton carefully set each one gently back in the case, including the one that had fallen asleep in his bandana. That Reader simply rolled over and snored, and didn’t wake, even when he was put down. Papy felt a bit envious - he wished he could sleep that deeply.

               While the brothers spoke, you sat in your corner, quiet and still as a mouse, avoiding the blue skeletons attention. You watched, a smile tugging at your mouth, as a Dreamer Reader rolled off his hand and continued to sleep, letting out soft, squeaky snores.

               “Hey Sans,” the tall skeleton was back behind you, and you sunk deeper into your sweater and tilted your head back to look up at him. He glanced down at you when you moved, and flashed you a wink. “Have you said hello to this little one?”

               You made a little sound of distress as Sans eyes landed on you. His already cheerful face brightened exponentially, and he rushed around the case. “No!” He chirped, stopping by his brother and leaning over the glass wall. His face was only a few yards from you now. You wished - not for the first time - that you could hide in your sweater and disappear.

               “Hello little Reader!” He greeted loudly, stars popping in his blue pupils. You winced and had to stop yourself from clapping your hands over your ears at his loud voice.

               “Easy bro,” Papyrus scolded gently, his voice much lower and softer than his brothers. “You’ve gotta be gentle with this one.”

               “Oh!” Sans made a loud noise of understanding, then immediately hunched his shoulders when he saw you wince again. “Oh. Sorry,” he continued in a much softer voice. “Hi! I’m Sans! But sometimes people call me Blue, ‘cause there’s lots of other Sans in the city and it gets confusing when everybody calls us all Sans! What’s your name?”

               You don’t answer, caught up in watching his jaw move and large teeth clash as he speaks. When you stay quiet, he frowned. “Can you talk?” He asked curiously.

               “They don’t talk to monsters!” One of the Curious Readers has wandered over, despite several of the others hissing at him to stay with them and not interrupt. You felt blood rush to your cheeks, turning them a brilliant shade of red, and shot the nosy Curious an unhappy look.

               “Oh.” The sound wasn’t disappointed or offended - it just was. Oh. The smile bounced back onto the skeletons face without hesitation, and he leaned back a bit. “That’s okay! I can do enough talking for both of us!” Behind him, Papy nearly choked on his lollipop trying to stop himself from laughing. Sans straightened up and struck a pose, one hand curled into a fist over his chest, the other placed proudly on his hip, legs akimbo, head tilted back as he gazed at some glorious horizon nobody else could see.

               “Don’t fear, little Reader! I, the Fantastic Sans, will keep this conversation going!” He boomed, though it wasn’t bad now that he was farther away. As soon as the spontaneous sparkles that had appeared around his cheeks faded, he leaned back over, grabbing the edge of the box with his boney fingers. His round chin followed, and he remained leaning there several feet away, giving you plenty of space.

               During his posturing, without the two of you noticing, the nosy Curious had been dragged back to the gaggle of Readers, all of which were watching with varying levels of interest. He blustered and waved his arms, but when he glared at Papyrus (whose eye was glowing the same vivid orange as the magic surrounding the Reader), he immediately cringed and went to hide in the back of the group. A single, flippant eyebrow raise from the tall skeleton was more than enough to shut him up.

               Sans hummed, tapping his fingers against the glass as he tried to think of the best course of action. “Oh, I know! I’ll ask you yes or no questions! That way, you just have to nod or shake your head. Okay?”

               When he didn’t say anything after a moment, you realized he was waiting for you. Hesitantly, you gave a small nod.

               “Great!” He paused again, tapping his pointer fingers against the glass. “Hmmm...oh, I know! Do you like tacos?”

               That was a bit of an odd topic to start on. You slowly nodded, remembering Taco Tuesdays (which happened every first Tuesday every month. Mama made the BEST tacos!).

               “Great! I love tacos!” Sans wiggled a bit in his spot. “Do you like Napstabot?”

               You’d heard of the celebrity before, but hadn’t seen or heard much of him. Not enough to form an opinion. You shrugged.

               “I understand! Not everybody can comprehend Napstabots brilliance!” The skeleton tapped the glass, not seeing his brothers eye roll behind him. “Do you like peacocks? I think they’re neat!”

               The conversation continued in this vein – him asking you out-of-the-blue yes and no questions, you answering with nods, head shakes, or shrugs. Sans weaseled out your favorite color, that you liked to read books, and you liked listening to music. He also learned you didn’t like Glamburgers (too many sequins), didn’t like heights, and had never driven a car before. The last one made you smile – how would you ever drive a car? They were all a million times bigger than you!

               “I like you!” Sans declared after asking if you liked puzzles (yes, even if it was tricky to get all the pieces in the right place thanks to your height). “Do you want to come home with us?” He motioned to his brother with a jerk of his head.

               The past half-hour of rapid fire questions had turned it into a bit of a habit, and you nodded without taking the chance to think of the consequences in depth. Bright yellow stars burst to life in the skeletons eyes, and he jumped up and down a few times.

               “FANTASTIC!” He squealed, wiggling in place a bit. “I’ll go speak with Miss Rivethart right away!” He shot across the room like an arrow, nearly colliding into the deer in his haste. You watched as he spoke rapidly, making grand gestures with his hands.

               Had you just been…adopted?

               “I give it a week!” The Curious Reader from before – the one who had slunk to the back of the group – sneered at you, arms crossed over his chest. All the other Readers were watching you, you realized. You stood, using the glass wall to help get to your feet, and adjusted the sweater so it didn’t bunch up as much around your neck. When you didn’t say anything, Curious scoffed again.

               “Everybody knows that Timids are sent back. No monster can stand being around you guys for long. They don’t want Readers who are afraid of them.” He looked over your shoulder at Sans, who was filling out a piece of paper with a bright blue pen and a broad smile. “He’ll get sick of you soon enough.”

               You weren’t exactly sure what made you angrier – the fact that the rude Reader was teasing you and trying to make you feel bad, or that he was insulting the nice skeleton who had just spent the past half hour talking with you, despite you never saying a word.

               “He won’t!” You declared, loud enough for all the Readers to hear. “Sans is nice! He doesn’t care that I don’t talk a lot, or that I don’t like the same music as him, or that I’ve never seen a peacock thing!” You put your hands on your hips. “Do don’t you be mean just ‘cause you’re jealous!”

               He snorted, crossing his arms but not looking at you. “I’m not jealous,” he growled. “You’re gonna get ditched, just like the others. Don’t come crying to me when they bring you back.” He slunk back to the group of Readers. Most of them flashed you smiles or waves, before dissolving into their own conversations.

               “Well said.” The deep voice – above and behind, just like before – made you jump. Papyrus was leaning against the table the display was on, unwrapping a new sucker. He winked at you – a common habit, apparently – and popped the grape-flavored candy in his mouth. “My bro can be a bit overwhelming sometimes, but he’s a good soul.”

               Said good soul returned at that moment, clutching a piece of paper in his hands. “Look!” He thrust the paper out in front of him, angling it so both you and Papyrus could see it. It was an official adoption form, filled out in neat comic sans print. “Now you can come home with us!” He folded up the paper and tucked it into his pocket before lowering his hand in the case, letting it sit right in front of you.

               If someone had told you earlier that you’d be adopted by a loud, boisterous, cheerful skeleton and his brother today, you wouldn’t have believed them. Despite the surge of courage you’d felt while yelling at Curious, you were still nervous at the idea of leaving the familiar adoption center. Sans hand, resting in front of you, was still so, so big – you were just a bit taller than his middle finger was long. The skeleton didn’t rush you – just waited, his hand still and steady.

               You took a deep breath and stepped forward, crawling carefully onto the oddly-warm surface of his boney palm. The tree-trunk like fingers curled around you before he lifted his arm, immediately bringing his hand to his chest so you weren’t in danger of falling off. You fisted one hand in the front of his jacket, feeling a bit steadier. Magic hummed through the fabric, radiating off his bones and soothing your nerves.

               “Great, lets head home!” The short skeleton waved to Rivethart and the other Readers before leading the way out of the center, his brother trailing behind. “I’ve got all of Napstabots CDs in the car – we can listen to them on the way home! He has some quieter ones that the radio doesn’t play very often. I bet you’ll like them!”

               He babbled on as you all got into a bright blue convertible, Papyrus taking the role of driver so Sans didn’t have to put you down. As they buckled up and pulled out of the parking lot, you watched as the adoption center disappeared from sight. You knew you’d miss it, but sitting against Sans chest, listening to his magic hum beneath his chest as he chose music specifically to make you feel better, you couldn’t help but think that you were going to have a good time.